GB #2: LaserMan (Dinodirect) FireDragon 250, 300, 500mW GroupBuy - CLOSED

[rhd]

after a bit of thought i emailed service at laserman to cancel my order yesterday. i haven't heard anything so far after 24 hrs.

It certainly seems like the 300mW was the way to go here, not the 500mW.

 

[plexus]

I received an email from them telling me to mail it back to them at my expense and once they get it they will assess and either refund or replace. This is NOT acceptable to me as I would have to pay about $40 to ship it back and that is surface via canada post. I then have to wait over a month likely then hope they get it and wait for their assessment. it would be faster to open a dispute with the credit card company and do it that way. then if the refund is not contested and i have to send it back i can send it a cheaper slower way without tracking because i'll have the money back by then. i will have to consult with my credit card company. i do not at all 100% feel that i should be spending more of my money to fix a problem that was initiated by them. again. I'd much rather deal with Wicked Lasers than Lasersman and that is saying something!

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Here is the most recent email I got from Lasersman:

Thanks*for*your*email!
As*for*what*you*said,we have sent you the returning address and we suggest that you can just send us the item but you are supposed to pay for the shipping fees. Once we get the item from you,we will handle the exchange or refund for you.Hope*for*your*understanding*and*please*feel*free*to*contact*with*us*should*you*have*any*problem.
*
*
*
Best*Regards,
summer
lasersman
*
From:*Lasersman service
Date:*2011-12-13*13:34
To:*service
Subject:*Contact Form
*
*
Name:*Jeff*Miller
E-mail:*Millerjeff@cc
Telephone:*
*
Comment:*Hello,
This*is*the*third*attempt*to*contact*you*about*a*defective*laser*you*sold*me.*If*I*don't*receive*a*reply*in*the*next*24*hrs*I*will*ne*contacting*the*fraud*dept*of*my*credit*card*company.*I*wish*to*return*this*laser*for*a*full*refund.
Signed,
Jeff*Miller

Who here thinks I should have to pay return shipping fees? Please, someone convince me....I let them know I had no intention to pay anything more for this laser...I also reminded them of the dispute that was opened with the CC company
I wonder what's next.

Kath, are you watching? You might want to remind them its their responsibility to pick up the return shipping....

 

[rhd]

Jeff,

You definitely shouldn't have to pay return shipping. Usually with returns elsewhere I've always had to pay the return shipping upfront though, and then submit the shipping receipt for compensation. That's how dealextreme has generally done it when I've had to return items.

For my own clarity, can you both summarize for me what your lasers peaked at?

I was trying to figure it out from the charts earlier, and at least one of the charts looked on spec. Others didn't. What's the nutshell?

 

[Jmillerdoc]

I was able to get it to peak once at 417mw...since then, it hasn't topped 400mW again...that's while holding the button down...if I just turn it on and take my finger off the button it peaks around 340mW. I think mine has a connection problem due to the way the switch works...I bet it would get much closer to spec if the switch wasn't messed up.

I am too checking with my credit card company before I go any further...I wil do what they tell me to do....I feel that's the only safe bet. They still have not given me an RMA number...I am wondering if they even use this standard process of RMA for returns...I am startimg to think not...

 

[Jmillerdoc]

I just received another email from them...now they are saying they do not or cannot find my order number when, in fact, it is at the bottom of the email chain she just sent me!

I know there is always an issue with the language barrier but this is clearly another type of issue.....

My patience is running thin...

 

[rhd]

I was able to get it to peak once at 417mw...since then, it hasn't topped 400mW again...that's while holding the button down...if I just turn it on and take my finger off the button it peaks around 340mW. I think mine has a connection problem due to the way the switch works...I bet it would get much closer to spec if the switch wasn't messed up.

Got it! Ok, and Plexus?

 

[plexus]

Got it! Ok, and Plexus?

Peaks were around 520mw and quickly dropped down to 450mw within a fairly tight range and then down from there. also mine appears to be operating in TEM01 or at least not TEM00.

 

[plexus]

Who here thinks I should have to pay return shipping fees? Please, someone convince me....I let them know I had no intention to pay anything more for this laser...I also reminded them of the dispute that was opened with the CC company
I wonder what's next.

Kath, are you watching? You might want to remind them its their responsibility to pick up the return shipping....

Like I said I don't feel at all that we should have to pay any more for this. Its not our fault that the lasers were delivered out of spec/not working properly. it would be different if they were fine for awhile and then started to die. i could accept that could be wear and tear and so another $40-50 to get it back to spec would be tolerable. but to have them sent not working right and then to expect us to pick up the tab to send them back AND the risk that they don't get delivered successfully is asking too much. we can just get the money back from our CC company and mail it back using the cheapest slowest service and that will suffice. all this coupled with the way they have handled after-sale service so poorly and cheesily has eroded at least my trust that they will handle this in a responsible way.

 

[jcranmer]

I do think that the correct thing to do is to return the laser if you are getting a refund. However that return postage should be covered by the company not you. I would insist on that and if they don't budge, then I might have different feelings about keeping the thing even if I'm issues a refund via my CC.

 

[rhd]

Peaks were around 520mw and quickly dropped down to 450mw within a fairly tight range and then down from there. also mine appears to be operating in TEM01 or at least not TEM00.

Gotcha.

I just re-read their page, and they really do list a 20 second duty cycle. I'm wondering if that's because they know the power drops off.

At any rate, I could be wrong, but hasn't it been said that high-powered 532s never run in TEM00 ? I'm pretty sure I had that on good authority somewhere. I'll search.

 

[plexus]

Gotcha.

I just re-read their page, and they really do list a 20 second duty cycle. I'm wondering if that's because they know the power drops off.

At any rate, I could be wrong, but hasn't it been said that high-powered 532s never run in TEM00 ? I'm pretty sure I had that on good authority somewhere. I'll search.

I don't think that is correct. also 500mw is not high power at least in my books. The specs say TEM00. Look at the spot shots in my post, its clearly broken either way. and its also "certified power guarantee" and after about 2 seconds is drops consistently under 500mw. no matter how you cut it, its not working as advertised.

 

[cheech226]

WELL! some good news!
i received my laser today, very well packed. unit operates well. machining is good.
best of all it's on spec!
peaked 608 on my laserbee a. held Steady at 570 ish for 2 minutes - in my hand.
i'm sure it peaks above the 608 because of my meter method of reading. kinda stunned - just walked in the door to find the box. and i tried to cancel 2 days ago. no one could tell me it shipped.
i'm a happy camper.
oh yeah, test made with non full charged aw cell. more later, got stuff to do

 

[plexus]

I have a request. Can those of you with the lasers from the group buy post a picture of the laser dot at a distance so we can see the quality of the dot? perhaps shoot it with one of the lenses from some laser goggles in front of the camera to get better detail. it would really help to see a few of these to determine what kind of mode they operate in.

Also, I was packing up the laser to ship and noticed there is a sticker on the bag the laser came in. I ordered a 500mw. The sticker says 300mw. Indeed.

However the beam quality is awful. I have the same laser by o-like and its doing ~400mw and create a nice clean round dot compared with the dual beam weirdness the Lasersman beam creates. This is why I suggested sharing pictures of your beam dot so we can see what the output is like across more of these lasers.

 

[cheech226]

i want to share some of my thoughts on this gb. i had repeatedly asked lpkath for a tracking # and notice when my laser was shipped. she assured me that i would know the instant my laser shipped and would provide a tracking #. great!
after reading the reviews of the 500mw units received so far, and the difficulties in trying to resolve problems with laserman, i emailed service on tuesday the 13th telling them to cancel my order and refund my $341.
on the 14th i get a pm from lpkath:

Hi, could you please tell me your account name at laserman.com, I would like to hurry them up to deal your order, thanks!
regards!
LPKath

i responded that i had cancelled my order.
no response from service yet.

thursday 15th, while at work, i get an email from service:

Thanks for your email!
As for what you said,the item has been shipped out on 12/13 and which will normally need a 7-14 working days to send the item.Hope for your understanding and please feel free to contact with us should you have any problem.


Best Regards,
summer

i get home from work thursday 15th to find a box from china.
seems the left and right hands at laserman have no clue as to what the other is doing. i hate being lied to.

but....i did get a good over spec laser. and it was VERY well packaged - with dino direct tape ;-)

i'm getting a REAL camera for christmas and will do a review with some good pix sometime after.

i get the feeling lpkath is a contractor for laserman hired for language skills to give feeedback from our forum prolly for commission on sales. she's not doing a very good job if she can't tell me it was shipped 2 weeks ago.
and service had no idea either?


edit - i see they no longer sell the firedragon III 500. for fd 3 the power stops at 450mw..........

 

[plexus]

In my case the box was beat up and the corners were broken. it was not a dino direct box or taped up with branded tape. the laser was put in a loose crappy single layer bubble sleeve with 300mW on a label on it. i ordered a 500mw. so it was a complete shipping fiasco.